Sunshine Coast residents woke on Thursday to survey the damage of an unexpected, wild but short-lived storm that swept across the region overnight.
First light this morning showed debris littered streets and countless tree branches that had fallen in the overnight storm.
“…it was like a train going through, we’ve lived here for 30-odd years and we’ve never seen so much wind,” one Palmwoods resident said.
“We had a tarp hanging up on the veranda and it actually pulled the stainless-steel hook off the end of the tarp. It was crazy.”
A large tree on Montville’s main street split and fell onto a local business.
“It was awful, hail coming down the chimney – almost nonstop lightning for about an hour,” said one Montville resident.
The storm struck at about 1am. There was not much rain at Maroochydore (16mm), Caloundra (14mm), Nambour (22mm), Coolum (4mm), Beerwah (17mm) and Noosa (4mm), but it fell in a hurry, within a 30-minute period.
At 7am, Energex reported almost 21,000 homes across South-East Queensland still without power – 13,600 in the Sunshine Coast Council area, and 36 homes reportedly in the Noosa Shire.
At 2pm, Energex reported 4690 homes without power in the Sunshine Coast Council area, and 652 in Noosa.
At 4.52pm, Energex reported the Sunshine Coast Council area had 3437 homes still without power, and 388 in Noosa.
Watch a short video of the Thursday morning storm (by Shelley Stuart @wingstoexplore):
‘Round two’ was expected on Thursday afternoon/night.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted a hot day, with the chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe with damaging winds and large hail in the afternoon and evening.
It then issued a severe thunderstorm warning, for damaging winds and large hailstones for people in South-East Queensland, at 1.30pm.
“A surface and upper trough over southeast and central Queensland are generating highly unstable conditions favourable for severe thunderstorms,” it said.
“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds and large hailstones in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Maroochydore, Gympie, Noosa Heads, Cooroy, Nambour and Nanango.”
Read a related story: Gloomy outlook: forecaster urges people to brace themselves for a couple of sodden years
If you have photos of storm damage, or a story to tell, email news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au
